Head-rest.



1. 0. HICKS.

HEAD REST APPLIGATION PILED IEB. 14, 1912.

Patented Mar. 4, 1913.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH EOQWASI-UNGTON. n. 1:.

UNITED STATES PATENT oEEIoE."

IRVING C. HICKS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO SANITARY BED -RES'1 COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

HEAD-REST.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 1-4, 1912. Serial No. 677,470.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, IRVING G. Hicks, a citizen of the United States, and resident of the borough of Bronx, city, county, and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Head- Rests, of which the following is a specification.

This device is intended to be secured to theside rails of abed and to so operate as to elevate a portion ofthe mattress to an extent that may be easilycontrolled and determined by the operator. The prime mover for the elevating mechanism is adjustable, overcoming the objection to a positively, sometimes too promptly acting, similar member in devices ofa like nature.

, Other improvements have been made which simplify or strengthen the structure and that make the whole a more complete and eflicient device.

The following is what I consider the best means of oarryingout this invention.

The accompanying drawings form a part of this specification in which:

Figure 1 shows the completed device. This figure is in plan partly in section. Fig. 2 is in' side elevation, 1t shows the device secured to a bed. Fig. 3 shows one of the side plates, a part of the spring support, and means for changing the spring tension. Fig. 4 is a detail view, it shows the canvas supporting means andthe means for securing the canvas. I

Similar reference numerals indicate like parts in all the figures where they appear.

To the left of Fig. 1, and indicated by the reference character 1, I have shown in section one of the side rails of a bed, this is an angle rail of ordinary construction and to this rail I have secured a downwardly depending plate 2, provided with, and secured by means of, a clamp consisting of the hook 3, operated by the set screw 4. The plate 2 is provided with a central perforation and i to the inside of the plate I have secured a socket 5, having a hole that registers with the'central perforation in the plate 2. A length of tubing 6 passes through the hole in the socket 5 and the perforation in the plate 2, and secured to the screw-threaded outer end of this pipe 6 is an elbow 7. A

second length of pipe 8 is screw-threaded in the elbow 7, and a second elbow 9 is screwthreaded upon the free upper end of the pipe or tube 8. I,

Arranged withinthe socket 5 and about the tube 6 is a gear 10 provided with a flange l1 and a circular projection 12. This gear 10 and the parts secured thereto'are free to rotate upon the tube 6 and for the purpose of rotating them I have provided a worm 13 arranged under the gear 10 and held in operable position by a projection 14 formed integral with the socket 5.

Spaced a short distance from the gear 10 and arranged uponthe tube 6 is a fiange15 cupped upon its inner face as shown at 16, and provided with an inwardly projecting tubular part 17. This flange 15 is secured to the tube 6 by means of the pin 18. A spring 19 of a diameter larger than the tube 6, and f formed preferably of round steel wire has each of its ends bent outward parallel to the axial line. One end 20 enters a perforation in the flange 11 and the other end 21 enters a perforation in the flange 15, each of these ends may be provided with a perforation and a cotter or split-pin 22 may pass through the perforation securing the spring in position.

Patented Mar. 4, 1913.

The tube 6 is long almost equaling the 7 'vided with screw-threads is provided with a perforation through each wall of the tube. Fitting snugly over this end of the tube is along sleeve 24, provided with longitudinal slots 25. Bolts 26 pass through the holes 23 and slots 25 and assist with the slots in providing an adjusting means by which thedevice may be adjusted to fit a bed of a width other than that for which it was originally intended.

Arranged upon the screw-threaded right hand end of the sleeve 24 is a nipple 27 which may be properly termed a reducing coupling, and cast integral with this coupling is a corrugated sector 28 for a purpose that shall appear later. The small end of the reducing coupling 27 passes through the central perforation in a plate 29 similar in all respects to the plate before described jacent to, though outside of the plate 29 and screw'-threaded upon the coupling or nipple 27 is an elbow 32 receiving at its upper end a pipe or tube 33 which in turn terminates 'in an elbow 34:. Screw-threaded into the now open end of the elbow 34 is length of tube 35 and screw-threaded into the elbow 9 is another short length of tube 36 these tubes are in line and may be arranged so that their ends abut. To secure and 'maintain this alinement I insert into the tubes 35 and 36 a short length of tubing 37 of a reduced size and I may secure this tube 37 into either of the tubes 35 and 36 allowing the other freedom for longitudinal adjustment as occasion may require. A rod in two parts 38 and 39 passes through other perforations in the plates 2 and 29 and upon the outer ends of this rod I have secured handles 40 one upon each end. Adjacent to one of the handles I arranged a U shaped wire member 4A which passes through the part 39 and is secured therein by means of a plurality of set-screws 4:1. This U shaped member engages one of the serrations in the corrugated sector 28 and controls and determines the amount to which the spring 19 will rotate the sector 28 and the parts connected therewith. This sector is provided with one elongated tooth 42 which revents the movement of the sector in one irection and a pin 43 secured in a plate 29 prevents the movement in the opposite direction beyond the predetermined point.

From the foregoing description the operation of this device may appear obvious but I will nevertheless describe a few of the more important steps.

The device is secured to the side rails of a bed by the clamping means described and so that the tube 6, the spring casing and the rod 38, 39 extend under the bed and across it. It may be necessary to adjust the device to properly secure it in position and this may be accomplished by the means described. The tubes 35, 36 are intended to rest upon the upper side of the springs of the bed and immediately under the mattress. If the device is conditioned as shown in the drawings the mattress may be raised to a desirable extent by lifting the handle 40 and allowing the spring to rotate the tube 6 and the parts permanently secured thereto. hen the desired extent of elevation is reached the handle 40 may be depressed so that the U member 44 may again engage with one of the serrations in the sector'28. It may be advisable in operating this device to allow the hand to rest lightly upon the mattress so that the effect of the spring will not be received too violently.

I may arrange a spring to return the U member 44 and I may use solid rods as substitutes for some of the tubes shown and described and although other modifications may be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the principle or sacrificing the advantages of this invention, I prefer the whole structure as shown.

Having carefully and fully described my invention what I claim and desire by Letters Patent is:

1. A device of the character described comprising a frame of metallic tubing provided with means for adjusting said frame, pivotal supports upon said frame and a spring casing secured to said frame, a'

flanged gear wheel within said casing and rotatable on said frame, a disk spaced from said gear wheel and secured to said frame, a spring arranged between said gear Wheel and said disk having its ends secured to said gear wheel and said disk and means for adjusting said spring as herein specified.

2. A device of the character described comprising a frame of metallic tubino provided with means for adjusting said frame, pivotal supports upon said frame and a spring casing secured to said frame, a flanged gear wheel within said casing and rotatable on said frame and a spring within said casing having one of its ends secured to said gear wheel and adapted to rotate said frame as herein specified.

3. A head rest comprising a metallic frame pivotally supported and having secured thereon an adjustable spring operated member for rotating said frame and an adjustable pawl and sector for determining the extent of said rotation in ,combination with a handle member extending parallel with a part of said frame and arranged to operate said pawl in the manner herein described.

4. A device of the character described comprising a frame of metallic tubing provided with means for adjustin said frame, pivotal supports upon said rame and a spring casing secured to said frame, a flanged gear wheel within said casing and rotatable upon said frame and a worm in mesh with said gear wheel, a spring within said casing having one of its ends secured to said gear wheel and adapted to rotate said frame at a force determined by the position of said gear wheel and worm as herein specified.

5. A head rest comprising a metallic rectangular frame pivotally supported and adapted to extend over and under a bed and having secured thereto an adjustable spring operated member for rotating said frame and a sector for determining the extent of said rotation, a handle member adjustable inlength extending parallel to a part of said frame and provided with a -U shaped day of Jan. 1912 in the presence of two member in normal engagement with said Witnesses. sector and operatlng therewlth and means such as a plurality of downwardly depend- HICKS ing plates for securing the whole to a bed as Witnesses: herein specified. a ARTHUR PHELPS MARK,

Signed at New York city, N. Y. this 31 G. ESTERRETTE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the f Cemmissioner of Patents,

1 Washington, D. 0. I 

